


Snapshot: Thanksgiving

by Raine_Wynd



Series: PPDC Photo Album [8]
Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Holidays, M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Slash, Snapshots, Thanksgiving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-09-22 16:05:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17062796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raine_Wynd/pseuds/Raine_Wynd
Summary: Thanksgiving in an American Shatterdome was an event.





	Snapshot: Thanksgiving

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written in 2014. I originally wanted this to be a lead-in to something bigger, but after four years, it's not happening.

Thanksgiving in an American Shatterdome was an event, complete with the American media laser-focused on the jaeger pilots. Bruce and Trevin Gage, the pilots of Romeo Blue, proved to be invaluable hosts – and they’d taken a shine to Chuck. Chrome Brutus’s pilots were less friendly and acted as though Herc was in the wrong for having Chuck living with them. Bruce’s warning of “don’t mind them, they’re assholes to everyone, including their crew” proved to be useful, but it was still frustrating to be treated to stiff politeness by a fellow jaeger pilot team.

Given they were Australian, Herc and Scott were warned that a lot of the press would center on them since they were foreigners. Chuck was also not excluded and received his first official PPDC public relations briefing, which he initially scoffed at but was later grateful to have received. The Hansens were pulled aside for the official interview by a national TV morning show team who’d been given the exclusive.

“Good morning, I’m Christina Fowler and thanks for watching the _Chris and Christina Morning_ show. As you can see behind us, the Shatterdome mess hall is full of the PPDC staff, crew, and jaeger pilots who are enjoying a very special holiday dinner courtesy of our friends at National Foods, who have also partnered with the Food for Life charity and are providing meals to the homeless on this special day of giving thanks,” the female anchor of the morning show said with a professional smile. “As has become tradition in the PPDC Shatterdomes, the jaeger pilots always sit with their crews, but NBC has received special permission to speak to the pilots of Romeo Blue and Lucky Seven before they sit down to dinner. With me now are Bruce and Trevin Gage as well as Herc and Scott Hansen, and who’s this?” Christina acted surprised to see Chuck.

“This is my son, Chuck,” Herc said. “Chuck, say hello to America.”

Chuck flashed a smile, revealing his dimples. “Hello and happy Thanksgiving,” he said as he had been told to do, sounding like he meant the greeting.

“Pleased to meet you,” Christina said expertly. “Are you enjoying this holiday, Chuck?”

“I still have homework to do,” Chuck said, and charmed everyone. “I know I have a lot to be thankful for, and I’m proud of my dad and my uncle and the PPDC.”

“Aw, that’s sweet,” Christina cooed on cue. “What are you thankful for, Herc, Scott?”

“For my son and my brother, and for the people who make what Scott and I do possible,” Herc said, smiling.

“Ditto,” Scott chimed in. “Can’t do this without everyone’s support.”

“Hear, hear,” Bruce added.

“Is there anyone back home you’d like to say something to? Trevin, I know you usually do.”

Trevin nodded. “To our friends and folks back home in Monterey, we love you and wish you the best. To our fellow rangers, thanks for doing what you do.”

“Herc?” Christina prompted.

“To our friends in Sydney and those we’ve made since we’ve been a part of the PPDC, we love you and keep on fighting the good fight,” Herc said.

“All right, I’ll let you get some dinner. On behalf of everyone in the world, we thank you for your service. Chris, back to you in the studio.”

The meal was as traditional as the PPDC cooks could make it, though Bruce warned Herc it was much a traditional East Coast Thanksgiving dinner. “What’s the difference?”

“No parsnips or carrots or fresh herbs,” Bruce said. “West Coast tends to be a little lighter and fresher, but we probably won’t see that for years. Trespasser killed California’s produce.”

“Was your family affected by it?” Chuck asked as he passed a plate of mashed sweet potatoes to his uncle.

“No, thankfully,” Bruce said. “But we had friends in San Francisco.”

“Sorry to hear that,” Chuck said. “Dad stole a helicopter to save me when Scissure hit Sydney.”

Bruce’s eyes widened. “Don’t think you’re supposed to be bragging about that.”

Chuck shrugged. “Not bragging when it’s the truth.”

“Chuck,” Herc warned softly. “Not everybody sees what I did as a good thing.”

“They can –”

“Easy, slugger,” Bruce cautioned. “I get it. I’d have done the same thing if I’d been in your dad’s shoes, but stealing is still wrong.”

“Oh,” Chuck said, subdued. “People get weird over stupid things.”

Bruce laughed and passed the cranberry sauce. “Yes, yes they do. Smart kid you got there, Herc.”

“I know,” Herc said, grinning as he helped himself to the cranberry sauce. “He reminds me every day. Speaking of – do you know who might be able to help with some of the chemistry stuff? I can do trig but chemical formulas stump me.”

“I’d be happy to,” Bruce said. “I’ll stop by tomorrow if that’s okay?”

“Appreciate it,” Herc said gratefully.

After dinner, they were all free to do whatever they wanted. Scott went with the Gages to play darts and score a bed partner. Herc brought Chuck back to their quarters, where Chuck headed to his room to do his homework. Left at loose ends, Herc caught up on his email. Along with the usual business reminders and authorization requests, he found he and Scott were scheduled for a photo shoot, an email from his late wife’s parents requesting a video chat with Chuck, and an email that indicated he had a voicemail from Stacker.

Surprised, Herc pulled out his phone, which he’d turned off out of courtesy to find he had missed Stacker’s phone call.

The voice message “Call me back, please, no matter what the time. You’re the only dad I know.”

Intrigued, Herc hit the button on his phone to return the call. Stacker answered on the second ring, sounding uncharacteristically frazzled.

“Herc, thank God.”

“You okay, mate?” Herc asked, concerned.

Stacker replied in another language, then stopped and sheepishly started over. “I’ve been up all night with my new daughter. I adopted the survivor of Onibaba’s attack; my application was finally approved yesterday and I brought her home but she woke up screaming. Don’t suppose you have any suggestions for that?”

Herc blinked. “You haven’t bought her any toys, like a teddy bear?”

“No, just clothes. Thought she was a little too old for a teddy bear.”

“Not if they’ve been through trauma,” Herc assured him. “Chuck pretends he doesn’t need the one the EMT gave him after I handed him over to be checked out when we landed.” Herc knew Stacker would understand the reference to Scissure; the event was a part of public record.

“Ah. I can’t get off base at this hour.”

“You’ve tried holding her?”

Silence met his words. “I’m so fucked.”

Herc laughed dryly. “No, just fumbling through it like a parent. Go on, hang up, give the poor girl a hug and tell her it’s okay. You killed the monsters.”

“Thanks, Herc. I may call you again for advice.”

“Any time,” Herc offered. He waited for Stacker to disconnect the line before hanging up. He wasn’t sure where their relationship would go from here, but it sounded as though they’d have at least a friendship. It was more than Herc had anticipated, given the months of nothing-more-than-PPDC-business type of contact. Maybe, Herc thought, if he played his cards right, he might negotiate a friends-with-benefits relationship. Either way, it would be interesting to see how Stacker balanced being a parent with being a high-ranking soldier in the world’s newest war. Silently, Herc hoped Stacker would do a better job than he was; already, Herc could see a time when his son would chafe at the restrictions on his liberty and activities.


End file.
